“We are all connected in ways we cannot even begin to fathom. Our lives unfold through each other and within each other.” ~David Rhodes
I can’t help myself—I love sleeping with people.
The more the better!
There’s nothing like crawling between the sheets with a lot of people. Female. Male. An armload of ethnicities. It’s all good!
Hey, don’t look at me like I should be ashamed of myself, because I’m not!
Besides, I know you do it, too. And you probably love it just as much as I do.
You think you know what I’m talking about, but I guarantee you’re wrong. (Quick lesson: assumptions are not good!)
See, what I’m talking about is the thousands (yes, thousands) of people it takes to create the beds we sleep in.
There are the people who extract the iron ore from the earth and…
…the people who ship the ore to…
…the mill workers who separate the iron from the slag and then make the angle iron for the bed frame.
There are the people who grow the cotton that will eventually be made into sheets and pillowcases.
There are the people who make dyes, who in turn rely on…
…the people who create the proper chemicals with petroleum or coal which, of course, is the fruit of…
…the labor of people who drill for oil or mine for coal.
There are the loggers who cut the trees that will become headboards and footboards…
I could go on and on and on!
And all those people represent only a few of the bed’s components!
The circle expands ever further.
Consider the people who work to pay those people who make all the parts of your bed—not to mention those who work to harvest and produce the food consumed by all of those individuals. And the people who build the vehicles to ship the parts…
You get the picture!
And, of course, all of these people would not be here if it wasn’t for their parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc. In the end, it is completely accurate to say billions of people sleep with you every night!
We are all interconnected. The person who thinks of himself as completely independent is laughably mistaken.
He eats food produced by fellow humans. He clothes himself with fabrics and materials made by fellow humans. When he is sick, he takes medicine produced by other humans or goes to other humans in doctor’s offices and hospitals who will try to help him heal.
He even depends on the animals and/or plants he eats for sustenance, and the rain that nourishes the plants, ad infinitum.
There is no such thing as true independence.
Tonight, as you climb into your soft, comfortable bed, think about the fact that, in a very real sense, that bed is a gift to you from the whole world. Its story dates back to the birth of this planet—and beyond.
It is truly amazing to ponder.
Take a moment to be grateful for that gift, and then enjoy sleeping around, so to speak.
Tell your friends to do it, too!
If we all recognize our interconnectedness, it makes it that much harder to hate.
After all, how can we hate the people who give us pillows upon which to rest our heads? And how can we abuse a planet that so richly provides us all we need to sleep in such comfort?
Then, take it one step further and think about the people who don’t have beds, or the peace in which to sleep in them soundly, even if they do.
Think about ways, however small, you can help begin to change that.
It can be as easy as dropping a dollar in the cup held up by a homeless person or giving some money to a charity. It could be offering a kind word to a coworker or forgiving a wrong from the past.
It might be meditating or doing yoga and taking the fruits of that into your daily life.
Or it can be as involved as joining the Peace Corps or choosing a career in an industry dedicated to helping humans or animals.
It doesn’t matter what you choose. What matters is that you choose something.
“If beings knew, as I know, the results of giving and sharing, they would not eat without having given, nor would the stain of selfishness overcome their minds. Even if it were their last bite, their last mouthful, they would not eat without having shared, if there were someone to receive their gift.” ~Buddha
Lori’s Note: Rhiannon is offering a special giveaway for Tiny Buddha readers: each of 20 people will receive two plastic Metta-Cards™ and a Metta-Morphosis wristband. For a chance to win, leave a comment on the post sharing something you’re grateful for! You can enter until midnight PST on Sunday, November 25th. UPDATE: The winners for this giveaway have already been chosen.
Photo by xlordashx
About Rhiannon
Metta-Morphōsis.org is a site that encourages people to "Practice Kindness and Transform the World." It’s the home base for Metta-Cards™—plastic cards that allow people to track their acts of kindness to see how one good deed inspires others. The site also features contributor stories, contests & inspirational videos.
Though I run this site, it is not mine. It's ours. It's not about me. It's about us. Your stories and your wisdom are just as meaningful as mine. 